2010 Red Lizard Portland Marathon Pace Team: 3:40 group

3:40 will be a rather large pace group. It's the fastest BQ time for women, and this year will be led by three very experienced, very friendly runners! The first half will be paced by Mark Mochon, known among the Red Lizards as Markiemo; and the second half will have two pacers, Joanna Harper and Tony Grecco. Here are their interviews:First half: Mark Mochon

Mochon: Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. No matter how good you feel
at the beginning stick with your original plan.

RunOregon: How many
marathons have you run and what is your PR?

Mochon: I've run about 15 marathons.
My PR was in 1996 at THE PORTLAND MARATHON! 2:48.RunOregon: What was your first marathon? What did you like about it, and what was
the hardest thing about it?

Mochon: A now defunct race - 1,000 Valleys Marathon
in Roseburg. I didn't put it together beforehand that for every valley
there needs to be a hill on either side of it. So, 1,000 hills. It was
nice because it was a small race and I had friends hop in to pace me
throughout the whole thing.

RunOregon: What part of the Portland Marathon
course is your favorite?

Mochon: My favorite spot is approaching the Red
Lizard 24 Mile Aid Station. The encouragement from the volunteers helps
so much to fight the urge to slow down or just stop.

RunOregon: What
is one race that you would like to do once in your
life and why?

Mochon: I've been wanting to do Big Sur Marathon for years becuse
it is so scenic and well rated. I'm signed up for it this year,
finally.

Second half: Joanna Harper

Courtesy Team Red LizardJoanna Harper at the Women's Masters 3000 at the 2010 Portland Track Festival.

RunOregon: Why are you running as a pacer?What do you like about it?

Harper: The thing I like most about being a pacer is that it is a fun way for
me to participate in the excitement of a "big city" marathon. But I
also take a lot of pride in completing my assigned role successfully. I am very happy that I can help others achieve their goals.

Harper: My number one piece of advice is to save some juice for the Saint
John's bridge. My number two piece of advice is to not get discouraged if
you fall behind me going up it. Everyone will react differently to the
hill. Try to maintain your rhythm and your effort and you'll be fine.

RunOregon: How many
marathons have you run and what is your PR?

Harper: I have run 18 marathons. My PR was 2:23 many years ago prior to gender reassignment.

RunOregon: What was your first marathon? What did you like about it, and what was the hardest thing about it?

Harper: My first marathon was the National Capital Marathon in Ottawa, Canada.
The organization, weather and course were all good. I started to hurt at
18 miles and so the last 8 were tough. But I never really hit the wall
and I started catching runners around 22 or 23 miles.

RunOregon: What's a good place you recommend people go out to eat while they're in Portland for the Marathon?

Harper: Everyone
wants Italian prior to the race. If you have a car, Il Piatto is a
short drive east across the river from the race headquarters. It won't
be nearly as busy as the downtown Italian restaurants and both the food
and atmosphere are nice.

RunOregon: Which "famous" runner do you admire most and why?Harper: I most admire Joan Benoit for many
reasons. She won the first Olympic gold medal for women (in the marathon). She seemed down
to earth and yet extremely dedicated. She clearly has a great will to
win. And to top it all of, she is still racing after all these years.

Second half: Tony Grecco

Kelly JohnsonTony Grecco at the 2010 Fort Vancouver Run.

RunOregon: Why are you running as a pacer?What do you like about it?

Grecco: I really
enjoy helping other runners aspire to long-held goals, particularly
qualifying for Boston or achieving a PR.

Grecco: I believe the number is eight. I have been running
for 25 years and also compete in triathlons. My 2008 PR (3:32) is not a
reflection of recent training. I was on track for a 3:10-3:15 (Boston
Qualifier) last year until injury. Maybe 2011 will be the time,
especially since turning 40 allows an extra 5 minutes!

RunOregon: What was your first marathon? What did you like about it, and what was
the hardest thing about it?

Grecco: I believe the 1994 Los Angeles Marathon was
my first. It was right before the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, which
"rocked" my world while living in Southern California. I had no idea of
the required training and paid for it dearly. My 5-hour ordeal
encourage me to train properly for future events.

RunOregon: What's your
favorite post-race treat?

Grecco: My diet and regimen are typically very
strict, but nothing beats pizza after spending 3+ hours on the road or
trail.

RunOregon: Which
"famous" runner do you admire most and why?

Grecco: I most admire Ryan Hall
because of his Christian faith and how it plays into his dedication to
running. Steve Prefontaine is a close second given his mental and
physical tenacity.

RunOregon: What is one race that you
would like to do once in your life and why?

Grecco: Of course, the Boston
Marathon is a lifelong goal. I grew up reading about Bill Rodgers and
Alberto Salazar, whom I met very briefly here in Oregon, in the early
80s. The Comrades Marathon, a grueling 55.5-mile (89.28K) ultramarathon
in Africa, is also on the list.